|
Rigoberta MenchU[rE´´gOber´tA menchOO´] Pronunciation Key, 1959–, Guatemalan social reformer. Of Mayan descent, she and her family were caught in Guatemala's bloody civil war. Protesters against human-rights abuses, her father, mother, and younger brother were killed by Guatamalan soldiers, and in 1981 MenchU fled the country and settled in Mexico. At home and abroad, she has worked to secure and protect the rights of indigenous peoples in her country and to promote intercultural peace. For her efforts, MenchU was awarded the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize. In 1998 her autobiographical I, Rigoberta MenchU (1983) was attacked as partly fabricated, provoking international controversy.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2009, Columbia
University Press.
Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
|
